Commutator.



No. 842,624. PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. A. F. CARVER & J. N. STOUT.OOMMUTATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1905.

TO AMERICAN INVENTIONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- RATION OFNEW JERSEY.

COMMUTATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed November 25,1905. seen in. 289,061.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALLEN F. CARVER and Janna N. 55th citizens of theUnited States, an of he borough of a 5 hattan 5. St oi" New 1 I aspeciiicati tes to conumitetors,a more particularly tr commutator in W1.the make and break of the controlling-circuit is efl'ected by theseparation of the contactpoints in a line directly toward and away fromeach other, the object being to secure a prompt make and break andprevent burning I out 01 the contact-points by sparking.

A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in w iich- Figure 1 is a plan view of thecommutator, showing it connected up to a translating device, the latter,as well as the generator, motor, and condensenbeing shownconventionally. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an endview. Fig. 4 is a vertical section in the plane of. the line A A,Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section in the plane of the line B B,Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical section in the plane of the line C C,Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a ver tical section in the plane of the line D D, Fig.c 1 and Fig. 8 is a vertical section in the plane of the line E E, Fig.1.

The generator is shown conventionally at 1, a condenser at 2, a motor at3, and a translating device, in the present instance a series of coilssuitable for the operation of an electric tool-driver, at 4.

The commutator is supported upon a suit able frame, in the presentinstance a pair of legs 5 and 6,'surmounted by a table 7, which may bemade in en erposed half-sections for convenience in dril mg half-socketsin the adjacent faces of the sections for the mounting of the contactmaking and breaking plungers to be hereinafter explained. The table 7 isprovided with a central opening 8, and in the opposite ends of the tablethere are mounted contact making and breaking plungers, in the presentinstance two plungers in each end, the lungers in one end being de notedby 9 and 10 and those'in the opposite end by 11 and 12. These plungersare mounted in pairs upon the opposite sides of a cam-shaft 13, mountedin suitable bearings carried by the table 7, the said shaft beingactuated by the motor 3. The cams carried by the. shaft 13 for actuatingthe plungers are in the nature of mutilated snail-cams, the ec- 1portion of the cam beginning upon .11 abrupt slant ii 11 the concentricport on or" the vain and Lt urinating by an T client, as is common withsnail-cams The can for operating the plungers i1 and 1.1 is denoted by 11-, and the cam for operzitting the plungers 10 and 12 is denoted by 15.hose cams are each carried by the shaft 13, and their abrupt faces arelocated a quadrants distance apart, so that each will operate acontact-plunger twice during its revolution-t. e., the cam 14 willoperate the plunger 9 and at the next half-revolution will operate theplunger 11, while the cam 15 will operate the plunger 10 aquartenrcvolution alter the operation of the plunger 9 by the cam 14-,and after the cam 15 has completed a half-revolution it will operate theplunger 12, which will be operated a quarter-revolution after theplunger 11 has been operated by the cam 14.

The plungers9 1O 11 12areeach held yieldingly in contact with itsoperating-cam and disk by means of bar-springs 16, (see Fig. 8,) thesaid springs being fixed at their lower ends to bars 17 18, secured tothe legs 5 and 6, while their upper ends partially embrace the plungersand engage abutments 19 on the plungers. The springs for the severalplungers are quite similar in their construction and arrangement, and wehave indicatedby symbol one only, 16, (shown in Fig. 8,) as sprung backby the action of the cam 14 to force the plunger 9 into engagement withits contact-piece. The several plungers are provided with platinum tipsfor immediate contact with their contactpiece, and the contactpieceswhich coact with the plungers are in the nature of fiat spring-arms 20,arranged in airs with their free ends opposite the outer ends of theseveral plungers, two such springarms being located on each side of thecommutator and secured at their lower ends to bars 21 22 of suitableinsulating materialas, for example, vegetable fiber. The said bars 21and 22 are conveniently held in position by means of screws 23 24, whichextend through the legs 5 and bars 17 18, as is clearly indicated inFig. 1, and have on their outer ends adjust- IOC.

ing-nuts 25 26, two for each end of each of the bars 21 22, for thepurpose of adjusting the bars 21 22, and'hence the spring arm-contacts20 carried thereby, to the exact position required with respect to theends of the contact-plungers 9 10,

To make the, breaking of the contact more abrupt and instantaneous thanit would be by the gradual withdrawal of the end of the plunger from thespring-arm while the latter was permitted to follow it back to itsnormal position, we provide steps 27 28,1vhichmey be thin sheets ofvegetable fiber made fast to the top of the table 7 at its opposite endsand projecting over the ends of the table to points slightly in advanceof the positions which the spring-arms 20 would normally assume and inthe path of the free ends ofthe arms, so that the free end of the arm2(1- as it recedes when the plun er is allowed to drop oil the abruptface oi the cam will under itsown spring tension follow the plunger uptothe point where the end of the arm 20 strikes the ston, at whichmoment it willbe instantanee ous y arrested and will be under suchvelocity that the plunger will have its contact-points separated fromthe springerm at that instant very quickly and sharply, doing away withany dwell whatsoever, thus obviating, far as may be, tendency tosparking. Provision is also made for reducing the spark by connectingthe contact-pieces 29 with a con, denser shown conventionally at 2,which is brought into electrical communication a suitable intervalbefore the break bet cen the plunger and the contact piece 26 actually,takes place. 0

The operation of the condenser coupled with means for 'commutating thecurrent controlled by the plungersz. 6., in order-to re- .lieve thecontact at the endof the plunger from carrying the entire body of the.current for operating the translating device, whatever it may be, saveonly for a short. interval,

just before the current is to be broken, we rovide commutator drums ordisks capab e of receiving broad brushes, and these .are so timed withrespect to the cams for operating the plungers that they will" closecontact through the coils of the translating device, and so provide forthe free flow or" current up to a point just before the circuit. is tobe broken, when the commutator drums or disks will be thrown out of use,throwing the whole .current through the plunger and the yieldingcontact-piece 20 to bebroken by the drop of the ,plunger. To accomplishthe above, the shaft 13, which carries the cams l4. and 151501 operatingthe plungers, is extended, a commution 01 ta-tor disk or drum 29,provided. with'conducting:- mat'erial 30, occu ying a smallporperiphery, (see 7,) the remaining; portion of its periphery being ofinsulated The disk or drum 29 hasbearing thereon brushes 31 32, fixed tosuitable blocks of insulating materiel 33 34, respectively, the latterheld in position by bars 35 36, set in sition which-it would assumewhenthe parts are denoted'by 50, 51, 52, and 53.

engaging the periphery 01" a drum or d mounted to rotate with the disk29 and 1 ing by the contact therewith oi aplatc 40 of conductingmaterial on the disk to throw the condenser into circuit and hold it inel i'irical communication after the brushes and 32 have left thconducting section of the drum. or disl z and have become insulated.

The drum or disk commutator composed of the sections 29 and 39, withtheir brushes, intended to coact with the plungers '3 and I}. and thecircuit controlled thereby, while similar commutator composed of thedrum or disk section ll and the drum or dish section 39, the formerengaged bybrushes 4.3 and 44- see Fig. 3) and the latter by branches &546,. (see Fig. 4,) coacts with the plungers l0 andl2.

The disk 39, in addition to its conductingplates for coasting withthebranches 45 and 46, has also a ring 47 of conductingmaterial whichispre'ierably integral with the plates, the said ring being; engaged bya brush 48 in constant electrical connection with the condenser 2'through a wire .To illustrate the operation of the commutator, we havechosen a series of coils which. have been-found desirable to use inconnection with an electric tool-driver, and this we have notedihereinabove as the translating device 4:. V7 e have indicated in thespace surrounded-by these coils a driveriin the po of the commutator arein the position shown inthe several figures. For purposes ofexplanation'the coils of the trenslatingdevice Theiwire leading'frointhevenerator 1 to the motoris denoted by 54. T e branchwire leading fromthe wire 54 to one pole of the coil 53 is denotediby 5 5, and in'thisbranch wire there is indicated a switch 56 for the purpose of throwingthe translating deviceinto and out (if-operation. The opposite pole ofthe-coil 53 is connected by a wire 57 with the brush 31, wh1ch when theconducting-plate 30 1s 1n contact with the brush transmits current tothe shaft 13, and hence to the-frame of the machine. Awire 58 leadsfrom: the opposite pole of the generator 1 to the opposite pole of,the

-motor 3, andiabranch wire 59 leads to-the frame of the machine to comlete the circuit brush 43, the opposite commutator to complete thecircuit'through the brush Awire 63 connects one pole of the coil Siwiththe wire 55, the opposite which coacts with the plunger 10. in likemanner the brushes 31 and 43 are connected with the spring-arms whichcoact with the plungers 1i and 12 by means of branch wires 68 and 69,respectively. One pole of the condenser 2 is connected by a wire 70 withthe wire 58, leading to the generator, and also by means of the branchwire 59 is at all times in'lectrical contact with the frame ofthemachine. The opposite pole of the con denser 2 is connected by a wire 49with the brush 48 in contact with the conductingring 47. It is to behere noted that connection with the several yielding arms 9 10 1 1 12 ismade through the same wires by both the branches of the bifurcatedbrushes when the respective branches are in contact with theconducting-plates on the drums or disks.

Assuming the motor 3 to be in operation, the switch closed, and thedriver (denoted by 71) in the position indicated within the coils, thecam 14 has at this moment pressed the plunger 9 into engagement with thecontactpiece 20, thus completing the circuit through thecoil 51 andforcing the driver to the left to deliver its blow. As the shaft 13continues to rotate, the plunger 9 will suddenly drop off the abruptface of the'cam 14, making the quick break between its outer end and thecontactiece 20, and the spark will be reduced by t e contact of thebrush 38 with the conducting material 40 on the drum or disk 39, whichhas electrical connection with the condenser until after the break hasbeen made. Shortly after the drop of the plunger 9 the plungerJO will beoperated by the cam 15, and connection will be made through the coil 52and branch wire 61 with the demagnetizing-coil 50, simultaneouslyreleasing the driver, and by means of the coil 52 starting its returnmovement. This will quickly be followed by the action of the cam 14 onthe plunger 11, which will in turn energize the coil 53 and complete thereturn movement of the driver, and momentarily after the circuit isbroken through the coil 53 by the drop of the plunger 1 1 over the faceof the cam 14 the cam 15 will engage the plunger 12 and energize againthe coil 52 for starting the driver on its advance movement,

I -and this will be followed by the action of the cam 14 on the plunger9, completing circuit through the driving-coil 51 for moving the drivertoward its work. The action of the brushes 31 and 32 Will conformcloselyto the action of the cam 14; but these brushes will slide off theconducting material on the disk 29 just before thebreak occurs by thefalling of the plunger ofi'the abrupt face of the cam 14, thus throwingthe entire current at and just before the break is made through theyielding contact-piece and the plunger. In the same manner the brushes43 and 44 coact with the cam 15 and the plungers 10 and 12 operatedthereby to help carry the current up to the moment just before the breakis tobe made.

it is noted that the condenser 2, having one pole at all times inelectrical connection with a ring on the shaft 13, is brought intoaction by a branch of the current-carrying brush and retained inelectrical connection with the yielding contact-arm until after thebreak has beenmade, thereby reducing the spark on each of the circuitmakers and breakers as the circuit is broken.

What we claim is- 1. In a commutator, the combination with a yieldingcontact-piece and a circuit maker and breaker arranged to move towardand away from the contact-piece, of means for actuating the circuitmaker and breaker and a stop for arresting the yielding contact-piece onits return movement.

2. In a commutator, a supporting plate or table, plungers mounted in theplate or table to reciprocate longitudinally, a rotary cam mountedbetween the adjacent ends of the plungers for operating the plungers inone direction, springs for operating the plungers in the oppositedirection and yielding contactpieces in position to engage the oppositeends of the plungcrs when the plungers are forced outwardly by the cam.

3. In a commutator, a supporting plate or table having a hollow center,plungers mounted in the plate with their adjacent ends projecting intothe hollow space at the center of the plate or table, a rotary cammounted in the said hollow space between the adjacent ends of theplungers for operating the plungers in one direction, springs foroperating the plungers in the opposite direction, yieldingcontact-(pieces in osition to engage the opposite en s of the p ungersand stops for arresting the yielding contactpieces on their returnmovements.

4. The combination with a translating device including anelectromagnetic coil, of a commutator comprising a contact-piece incircuit with the coil, a reciprocating circuit maker and breaker forenga ing the contactpiece, means for operating t e circuit maker andbreaker, a condenser electrically connected with the contact-piece andmeans for establishing communication with the condenser to reduce thespark at the moment of breaking circuit through the electi omagneticcoil.

5,, The combination with a translating device including severalelectromagnetic coils, of a commutator comprising several contactpiecesin circuit with the coils, reciprocating kit contactpieces and means foroperating the circuit makers and breakers, a condenser electricallyconnected with the several contact-pieces and means for establishingcommunication with the condenser to reduce the s ark at the moment ofbreaking circuit t irough the several coils.

6. The combination with a translating device including several coils, ofa commutator comprising contact-pieces in circuit with the coils, meansfor making and breaking circuit through the contact-pieces, andauxiliary circuitmakers and breakers in circuit with the contact-piecesand coils,-for assisting in carrying the current through the coils.

7. The combination with a translating device including several coils, ofa commutator comprising contact-pieces in circuit with the coils,reciprocating circuit making and breaking devices arranged to coact withthe con-- tact-pieces, means for operating the said cir-' cuit' makersand breakers and rotary commutators in circuit with the coils'andcontact-pieces for assisting in carrying the current through the coils,the relation between the rotary commutators and the contactpieces withtheir reciprocating circuit-makers and breakers beingsuch that a circuitwill be broken by the rotary commutator prior. to the breaking of thecircuit by the contactpiece and its coacting circuit maker and breaker.

8. The combination Witha rotary disk or eeaesc 3 disk or drum provi edwith conducting material on a portion of its periphery, of a bi furcatedbrush, one branch of which is in engagement with one of the disks ordrums and another branch with the other diskor drum, a condenser inelectrical communication with one of said disks and a translating devicein circuit with the other of said disks and means for rotating thedisks.

9. The combination with a commutator including a rotary shaft,companion. disks mounted on the shaft and provided with con ductingmaterial on a part of their periphery, brushes common to the companiondisks, a disk or drum provided with conducting meterial throughout itsentire periphery and-a brush in engagement with said disk, of acondenser in electrical communication with said last nameol brush andwith one of the companion disks and a translating device in circuit withthe other of said companion disks. in testimony that we claim theforegoing I as our invention we have signed our names, in presence oftwo witnesses, this 21st day of November, 1905.

ALLEN F. CARVER. JAMES N. STUUT.

Witnesses:

Fn'snrrl. HAYNES, Hm m THEME.

